Both the acting and showbiz industry are not new to Padilla. He comes from a multi-faceted background, which includes talented performers, and a political family. His father Casimiro Padilla, Sr., who was a film director, served as vice-governor of Camarines Norte in the 1970s and assemblyman in the 1980s;[4] while his mother was an actress,[1] and three of his siblings Rustom, Rommel, and Royette are actors. His half brother Casimiro Roy A. Padilla, Jr. succeeded his father's political endeavors, serving as a union leader, a congressman, and three-term governor of Camarines Norte.[5]

Contents

Padilla's movies with Sharon Cuneta in Maging Sino Ka Man, and Vina Morales in Ang Utol Kong Hoodlum series were blockbuster hits.[6] He figured accidents while filming Tulak ng Bibíg, Kabig ng Dibdíb when he was trapped inside a speeding car that flew into the air, flipped and landed on its roof.[6] Padilla's worst accident was when a blasting scene for Utol Kong Hoodlum burned him literally, which left scars around his abdomen and arms.[7]

Padilla crossed over from the silver screen to television through the ABS-CBN comedy show Pwedeng-Pwede. In 2002, he reprised his role as Anghel in the movie "Hari ng Selda: Anak ni Baby Ama 2" with Angelika dela Cruz, a sequel to the 1990 film. The following year, he topbilled his first primetime action-drama series, Basta't Kasama Kita. In 2005, he did two movies: the horror thriller Kulimlim and the comedy "La Visa Loca". He received Best Actor honors in the 2006 Urian Awards.

In 2010, Padilla returned to ABS-CBN. His projects with the network included the sitcom Toda Max, which was launched in November 2011, this was Padilla's second over-all sitcom his last one with Pwedeng Pwede with his former co-star, the late comedian Redford White.

In the last quarter of 2013, Padilla once again return to GMA Network, where he starred in Adarna for his cameo role.

Padilla is an anti-malaria advocate since 2004; he appealed for media support for his cause against the disease in the press briefing of Department of Health's 'Movement Against Malaria'. As a MAM spokesperson, he engaged television networks in the campaign for the use of mosquito nets.[9][10]

Padilla flew to Turkey to attend a conference concerning the Liwanag ng Kapayapaan Foundation,[when?][citation needed] a free preschool he built for Muslim children in Quezon City, which opened in 2007. On September 15, 2007 he donated 2.5 million Philippine pesos to the Muay Association of the Philippines.

He has four children with Liezl: a son named Ali and three daughters: Queenie, Kylie, who are actresses, and Zhen-Zhen.[14] He also has a son named Mico with actress Jobelle Salvador[15] and a daughter named Camille Orosa, a model and aspiring actress, with former model Leah Orosa.